Network-based system for showing cars for sale by non-dealer vehicle owners

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for selling and servicing cars using a network of existing owners of the car and a network of existing independent car service centers and a distributed linked computer communication system.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/202,013, filed Jul. 5, 2016, of the same title,which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/256,533,filed Nov. 17, 2015, each of which is incorporated by reference as iffully set forth.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is generally directed to a method and apparatusfor selling and servicing new and used cars.

BACKGROUND

Car dealerships have existed since the time of Henry Ford and little haschanged since then. The dealership typically spans several acres and hasa large inventory of cars for the potential buyer to look at and testdrive. Many consumers do not like going to car dealerships. They findthe locations of the dealership inconvenient, the salesmen pushy and theoptions overwhelming. As a result, consumers are less apt to picturethemselves in the car and ultimately purchase the car.

Technology recently has infiltrated the car dealership space, and somedealerships now allow potential buyers to browse cars online and evenschedule a test drive. In the case of a scheduled test drive, a salesmanfrom the dealership brings the car to the potential buyer for anevaluation. This results in additional labor, wear and tear on a new carand still requires a large inventory of new cars.

In addition, Car Dealerships also provide maintenance and repairservices to customers who have purchased cars. This requires the CarDealership to maintain a fully staffed service department and investconsiderable money and resources in the tools and equipment needed toperform the maintenance and repair services. Most Dealerships will onlyservice the brand of cars they sell. This often results in CarDealerships' service departments not being fully utilized. As a result,Car Dealerships are forced to charge more for basic maintenance andrepair services than independent repair shops who can fully utilizetheir resources by servicing many brands of cars. Consequently, manyConsumers do not like having their cars serviced at the Car Dealershipbecause they find the locations inconvenient and do not like paying morefor the same services they can receive at an independent repair shop.However, Consumers are often concerned with the reputation and theability of the independent shop to properly service their car. As aresult, a consumer must decide between the convenience and lower priceof a local repair shop and the peace of mind and higher price of theDealer-provided service.

Until the current invention, however, it has been impossible tosuccessfully leverage owners who have recently purchased and are happywith a new car. In addition, until the current invention, it has beenimpossible for Car Dealerships to leverage the independent car repairshops to provide convenient service to the Consumers who have alreadypurchased their vehicles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more detailed understanding may be had from the following description,given by way of example in conjunction with the accompanying drawingswherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an exemplary system practicing the method ofselling cars.

FIG. 2 is a graphic depiction of the tables that may be stored in aserver.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an example of the process of selling carsfrom the prospective of a Potential Buyer.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example of the process of selling carsfrom the prospective of an Existing Owner.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an example of the process of selling carsfrom the prospective of a Car Seller.

FIG. 6 is a map showing the cars “available for show” relative to theConsumer's current location.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of an exemplary system practicing the process ofrepairing cars.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an example of the car service process fromthe prospective of an Existing Owner.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an example of the car service process fromthe prospective of a Car Mechanic.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an example of the car service process fromthe prospective of the Car Seller.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an example of the car service process fromthe perspective of a Car Dealer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Below are described methods and apparatus to sell and service new andused cars. These methods overcome the disadvantages currently found inthe prior art which require a Car Dealer to maintain a large inventoryof cars, large showrooms and expensive salesmen to make new car sales.Further, the methods also enable a Car Dealer to provide continuedmaintenance and repair services to Consumers who have previouslypurchased cars from the Car Dealer without requiring the large expensiveservice departments found in the prior art.

Instead, the methods leverage a network of existing car owners and carsthat have already been sold. Further, it enables consumers to explorethe car on his/her own without having to interact with a salesperson. Inaddition, the methods allow a Car Owner who has already purchased thecar from the Car Dealer to receive service without having to travel tothe car dealership and pay a premium price. The disclosure below is alsoapplicable to hardware such as servers, cars, computers and mobilephones that embody aspects of the invention.

The current invention leverages a network of customers who have alreadypurchased a particular type of vehicle to assist in selling vehicles ofthe same type to potential customers in their geographic area. Further,it leverages existing independent repair facilities that already havestaff and equipment to perform the repair service and maintenance onvehicles that have already been sold.

FIG. 1 depicts a diagram of an exemplary system practicing the method ofselling cars. In this system, a plurality of cars and trucks 140 a . . .140 n each contain a Car Computer 150. The Car Computers 150 areconnected to the Internet 100 via a Wireless Communication Channel 145.The Car Dealer 110 is also connected to the Internet 100 viaCommunication Channel 115. A Server 120 is also connected to theInternet 100 via Communication Channel 125. A Potential Buyer 130 a hasa Mobile Computer 130 that is connected to the Internet 100 via aWireless Communication Channel 135. The Communication Channels 135 and145 may be of the form of any wireless communication mechanism such asLTE, 3G, WiMax etc.

The Car Computer 150 may be integral to the car or may be portable. Ifthe Car Computer 150 is portable, it may be connected to an On BoardDiagnostic Port (OBD II) or similar communication port.

The Car Computer 150 is capable of exchanging information with theServer 150. Information is reported to the Server 120 by the CarComputer 150. Car Computer 150 may include the position of the car inwhich the Car Computer is installed. The Car Computer 150 may determinethe position of the Car by GPS or any similar technology. In addition,the Car Computer 150 may report to the Server 120 the number of milesdriven, gas/electrical charge remaining, maintenance required, or anyother information about the car.

The Car Computer 150 is also capable of unlocking the doors of the car,starting the car, and disabling the car. Unlocking, starting, anddisabling may be performed in response to a command from the Server 120.The Car Computer 150 may also contain an integral camera or be connectedto an external camera. The Car Computer may use the camera to capture animage or video of the driver. This image or video of the driver may besent to the Server. In addition, the Car Computer 150 may have aninternal near field communication device or be connected to an externalnear field communication device. This nearfield communication device maybe capable of communicating through NFC, Bluetooth, RFID or any similartechnology. The Car Computer 150 may use the near field communicationdevice to verify the identity of a potential buyer 130 a. In addition,the Car Computer 150 also includes a transmitter and a receiver tocommunicate over Wireless Communication Channel 145.

Each of the plurality of Cars 140 a . . . 140 n may be cars, trucks,motorcycles, or any other type of vehicles. These cars may have beensold by the Dealer 110, may have been manufactured by a manufacturerwhom the Dealer 110 represents, or they may be cars which have beenregistered with the dealer. The Car Dealer 110 may allow Owners of oldcars, who wish to trade the old cars in for new cars, to continue to usetheir old cars while registering the cars with the Car Dealer 110. TheCar Dealer 110 may then attempt to sell the old car once it isregistered.

The Mobile Computer 130 may be of any form known in the art, such as alaptop computer or smart phone. The Mobile Computer 130 is capable ofrunning one or more applications. In addition, the Mobile Computer 130is capable of determining the current position of the Mobile Computer130 based upon GPS or similar technologies. The Mobile Computer 130 mayalso include a near field communication device that is capable ofcommunicating with the near field communication device of the CarComputer 150. Further, the Mobile Computer is capable of retrievinginformation from the Server 120 and displays the information to theBuyer 130 a. The Mobile Computer also allows information to be enteredby the Buyer 130 a and transmitted to the Server 120. The mobilecomputer also includes a transmitter and a receiver that communicateover the wireless channel 135.

The Server 120 may be of any form known in the art. The Server includesan application that is capable of transmitting and receiving informationwith the Mobile Computer 130, the Car Computer 150, and the Car Dealer110 via the Internet 100. The Application is also capable of retrievingand storing information in one or more tables. The Server is capable ofstoring one or more data tables. FIG. 2 is a graphical depiction ofexample tables that may be stored in the Server 120. Those tables mayinclude a Buyer Account Table 210, Car Table 220, Existing Owner Table230, Available For Show Table 240, Showing Results Table 250, ReviewTable 260, and Existing Owner Account Table 270.

The Buyer Account Table 210 may include biographic information about theBuyer 130 a, such as Name, Address, and Phone Number, etc. The BuyerAccount Table may also include credit card information for the Buyer. Inaddition, the Buyer Account Table may include historical informationabout what cars the Buyer 103 a has previously viewed. Further, theBuyer Account Table 210 may include driver's license information andinsurance information for the Buyer 130 a. The Buyer Account Table 210may also include a photograph of the Buyer 130 a. If the Car Computer150 includes a camera, facial recognition software may be used to verifythe identity of the Buyer 130 a based upon the photograph stored in theBuyer Account Table 210. The Buyer Account Table 210 also includesinformation about the current geographic position of the Mobile Computer130.

The Car Table 220 includes information about Make, Model, Year, andoptions for the cars sold by the Car Dealer 110. The information storedin the Car Table 220 is retrieved by the Buyer 130 a and displayed onthe Mobile Computer 130 when the Buyer is attempting to locate a car tobuy.

The Existing Owner Table 230 includes biographic information forindividuals who have already purchased a car. The Biographic informationmay include Name, Address, and Phone Number, etc. In addition, theExisting Owner Table 230 includes a credit balance for the ExistingOwner. Credits are awarded/deducted to the Existing Owner by the CarDealer 110. Credits may be awarded/deducted, for example, by:

Number of hours a car is “available for show”;

Number of actual showings;

Number of test drives;

Reimbursement for Gas Consumed during test drives;

Number of Potential Buyers who ultimately buy the car; and

Potential Buyers Feedback.

Credits may also be deducted for:

Not reaching a threshold for the number of hours a car is available forshow;

Not Accepting a viewing request;

Negative Buyer Feedback;

Failure to respond to a request in the predetermined period of time; and

Negative Car Condition.

A dealer may also create additional conditions for which an Existingowner is awarded credits and additional conditions for deductingcredits. The credits may be converted into gift cards, cash, discountson future car services, or any other form of consideration. The ExistingOwner Table 230 may include an indication of how the Existing Ownerwould like to receive their credits.

The Available for Show Table 240 includes information about cars that anExisting Owner has designated as “Available for Show.” This informationmay include the Make, Model, Year, and Options of the car. In addition,the information stored in the Available for Show Table 240 may includethe current position of the car and the number of hours it is availablefor viewing.

The Showing Results Table 250 includes information about what happenedwhen the potential buyer viewed the car. This information can includethe date, duration of the viewing, if a test drive took place, and ifthe Buyer 130 a actually purchased the vehicle. In addition, if the CarComputer 150 includes a camera, a picture or video of the Buyer may alsobe included.

The Review Table 260 includes reviews left by the Buyer 130 a about thecar. This information may include information about the condition of aparticular car in addition to review information about the make, model,year, and options of the car. Information about the condition of the carmay be used in the determination of what Credits to award/deduct to theExisting Owner.

The Existing Owner Car Table 270 includes information about a particularcar which has been registered in the system and may be made “availablefor show.” This information may include the Vehicle IdentificationNumber (VIN), a photograph, the current mileage, service history, ifmaintenance is due, and the current amount of gas/charge in the car. Inaddition, the scale of the map is adjusted so that a minimumpredetermined number of cars matching the criteria is shown. Forinstance, a very rare car type may require a 100 mile scale to reach thepredetermined number of cars, whereas a very common car type might onlyrequire a 10 mile scale.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a Map 300 that may be displayed on the MobileComputer 130. The Map 300 may be generated by the Application on theServer 120 or may be generated by an Application on the Mobile Computer130. The information displayed on the Map 300 is based upon the currentposition information is stored in the Available for Show Table 240 andthe current geographic position of the Mobile Computer 130 stored in theBuyer Account Table 210. For example, 340 a, 340 b and 340 c are carsthat have been designated as Available For Show. The geographic locationof the Car 340 a, 340 b and 340 c shown to the Buyer 130 a is depictedto the Buyer in obfuscated circles 360 a, 360 b and 360 c, respectively.By obfuscating the exact location of the car, the privacy and securityof the owner is protected. The exact location of the Car is not revealedto the Buyer until the Existing Owner Allows the Showing Request 525.

FIG. 4 shows the process for the Car Dealer 110 to sell the car to theBuyer 130 a from the perspective of the Buyer 130 a.

In step 405, the Buyer 130 a Accesses the Car Dealer Sales Application.The Car Dealer Sales Application may be in the form of a website, webapplication, or an application that is downloaded and installed on theMobile Computer 130.

The Buyer 130 a then creates a Buyer Account 410 by their biographicinformation. The Buyer 130 a may also be required to provide a pictureof themselves, their driver's license information, and insuranceinformation. Additionally, they may be required to enter their creditcard information. The information entered in step 410 is transmitted tothe Server 120 where it is stored in the Buyer Account Information Table210. This step may be skipped if the Buyer has already created a BuyerAccount.

The Buyer then selects a type of Car 415 from a listing of availablecars that are currently being sold by the Car Dealer 110. The listing ofavailable cars is based upon information stored in the Car Table 220.

A map such, as FIG. 3 , is then displayed 420 to the Buyer 130 a. Thismap only includes cars that are indicated as available for show andmatch the type of car selected in step 415. Only the obfuscated locationof the cars is displayed to the Buyer 130 a.

The Buyer 130 a then selects 425 a particular car from the map such as340 b.

Additional information regarding the particular car is retrieved 330from the Server 120 and displayed to the Buyer 130 a. The informationretrieved is based upon the information stored in the Existing Owner CarTable 270.

Next, the Buyer 130 a requests a showing of a particular car 335.

A message (email, SMS, in app alert, or the like) is sent to theExisting Owner indicating a request to see their car. This message isreceived by the Existing Owner 520. If the Existing Owner allows therequest 525, the approval is transmitted 535 back to the Buyer 130 a.

The Transmitted Approval is received by the Buyer in step 440. TheTransmitted Approval also includes the exact geographic position of thecar.

The Buyer 130 a then travels to the geographic location of the car 445.Once at the car, a message is sent and received by the Existing Owner540.

Once at the car, the Buyer 130 a can unlock the car 350. To unlock thecar, the Buyer 130 a uses the Mobile Computer 130 in conjunction withthe Car Computer 150 to verify their identity. The Buyer's identity maybe verified by photographic recognition based on a camera connected tothe Car Computer 150, Near Field Communication between the MobileComputer 130, and the Car Computer 150 or by other secure means. Oncethe Buyer's identity is verified, the information is communicated to theServer 120 that includes the date and time information and type ofidentity verification used. The Server 120 saves this information to theShowing Results Table 250 and transmits an instruction for the CarComputer 150 to unlock the car doors.

The Buyer 130 a then can examine 455, both the inside and outside of thecar. This examination may include using car entertainment systems. Ifthe Car Computer 150 includes a camera, a picture or a video of theBuyer 130 a may be captured and transmitted to the Server 120 where itis saved in the Showing Results Table 250.

Next, the Buyer 130 a may request a test drive 360 for a set period oftime or distance. An optional addition message and confirmation may berequired by the Existing Owner. If a test drive is permitted, the CarComputer 150 will start the car. A navigational module of the CarComputer 150 then plots a test drive course for the set time or distanceresulting in the car being returned to its current location. The Buyer130 a is then prompted to follow the test drive course. During the testdrive, the Car Computer 150 constantly updates the car's position to theserver where it is stored in the Showing Results Table 250. If the Buyer130 a deviates from the test drive course, an alert is displayed on thecar computer. The alert indicates that if the Buyer 130 a does notreturn to the test drive course, the car will be disabled, and theircredit will be charged. If the Buyer returns to the test drive course,the test drive will continue. If the Buyer 130 a does not return to thetest course, the Car Computer 150 will disable the car once the cardrops below a threshold speed. An alert will then be sent to theExisting Owner, and optionally, the police may be contacted. The Buyer'scredit card would also be charged. Similar alerts, disabling, andcharging of the Buyer's credit card may also be applied if the Buyer 130a operates the vehicle in an unsafe manner, such as exceeding the postedspeed limit.

Assuming the Buyer 130 a follows the test course and returns the car,the Buyer then locks the 465. An alert is then sent and received by theExisting Owner 350. The Car Computer 150 than transmits informationincluding the duration of the showing and the test drive information tothe Server 120 where the information is saved in the Showing ResultsTable 250.

The Buyer 130 a is then prompted by the Mobile Computer 130 to reviewthe car and indicate their likelihood of purchasing the car 470. Thisinformation is then transmitted to the Server 120 where it is saved inthe Review Table 260.

FIG. 5 shows the process for the Car Dealer 110 to sell the car to theBuyer 130 a from the perspective of the Existing Owner.

First, the Existing Owner accesses 505 the Car Dealer Sales Application.This may be the same application as accessed by the Car Buyer or adifferent application. This application may be in the form of a website,web application, or an application that is downloaded and installed on amobile device.

Next, the Existing Owner is required to register an Existing OwnerAccount 510. The Existing Owner is prompted to enter their basicbiographic information and insurance information for the car. They mayalso be required to select how they would like to receive their credits.This information is then transmitted to the Server 120 where it is savedin the Existing Owner Table 230. Additionally, the Existing Owner may beprompted to enter information about their car including the VehicleIdentification Number (VIN), the installed option, and a photograph ofthe car. This information is then transmitted to the Server 120 where itis saved in Existing Owner Car Table 270. Step 510 may be skipped if theExisting Owner has already registered an Existing Owner Account.

The Existing Owner can then designate their car as being “Available forShow” 515. The Existing Owner can designate their car as being“Available for Show” from the Car Computer or by accessing the CarDealer Sales Application. When a car is “Available for Show”, thisinformation is transmitted to the Server 120 where the information isstored in the Available for Show Table 240. This information issubsequently used to generate maps like those shown in FIG. 3 .

When a Buyer requests a showing of the Existing Owner's car 455, theExisting Owner receives an alert. This alert may be in the form of anemail message, SMS text message, an in app alert or the like. TheExisting Owner has a predetermined period of time to permit or deny therequest. A failure to respond may result in a deduction in credits. TheExisting Owner must then decide to allow or deny the request 525.

If the Existing Owner elects to not allow the request to show the car,they must provide a rationale 430. This rationale could either be freeinput text box or be selected from a prepopulated dropdown list. Therationale may be used in determining the amount of credits to bededucted. This information is transmitted to the Server 120 where it issaved in one or more of the tables.

If the Existing Owner elects to allow the showing, the approval istransmitted to the Server 120 where it is subsequently received by theMobile Computer 130 in step 440.

Next, if the showing is allowed, the Existing Owner receives an alertthat the Buyer 130 a is at the car 540. Then, if the Buyer 130 arequests a test drive, an optional confirmation alert may also be sentto the Existing Owner. Further, if the Buyer 130 a performs a testdrive, the Existing Owner receives another alert indicating that a testdrive has occurred. Finally, the Existing Owner receives an alertindicating that the showing has ended.

Based in part on the information stored in the Showing Results Table250, the Existing Owner 555 may be awarded credits.

FIG. 6 shows the process for the Car Dealer 110 to sell a car to theBuyer 130 a from the perspective of the Car Dealer 110.

The Car Dealer 110 first solicits Existing Owners to Register 605. TheCar Dealer may do this by direct marketing of existing customers or mayinclude the registration as part of the initial sales. The solicitationasks the Existing Owners to complete the registration step 510.

The Car Dealer 110 is responsible for maintaining the tables 610 storedin the Server 120, such as those depicted in FIG. 2 .

When a Buyer 130 a requests a showing of a car 435, the Car Dealer 110receives an alert. This alert may be in the form of an email message,SMS text message, an in app alert, or the like. This alert may alsocontain additional information retrieved from the Buyer Account Table210 for the particular Buyer 130 a requesting the showing.

If the Existing Owner does not allow the showing 525, the Car Dealer 110receives an alert with the Existing Owner's Rationale 620 that wasentered by the Existing Owner in step 530. The Dealer may then DeductCredits from the Existing Owner 625. This deduction is then transmittedto the Server 120 which subsequently updates the Existing Owner Table230.

If the Existing Owner allows the showing 525, the Car Dealer 110receives an alert when the showing is completed. This alert may containinformation from one or more of the tables stored in the Server 110. TheCar Dealer 100 subsequently receives an alert 635 including theinformation entered by the Buyer 130 a in step 470. Based in part on theinformation in the one or more tables, the Car Dealer may award credits640 to the Existing Customer.

FIG. 7 depicts a diagram of an exemplary system practicing the method ofservicing cars. In this system, a plurality of cars 740 a . . . 740 neach contain the Car Computer 150. A Server 720 is also connected to theInternet 100 via Communication Channel 725. In addition, a plurality ofIndependent Repair Centers 760 a . . . 760 n are connected to theInternet 100 via Communication Channel 765. An Existing Owner of a Carin Need of Service 730 a has a Mobile Computer 730 that is connected tothe Internet 100 via a Wireless Communication Channel 135.

Each of the Independent Repair Centers 760 a . . . 760 n has at leastone Mobile Computer 130.

The Server 720 may be of any form known in the art. The Server includesan application that is capable of transmitting and receiving informationwith the Mobile Computer 630, the Car Computer 150, the Car Dealer 110and the Independent Repair Centers 760 a . . . 760 n via the Internet100. The Application is also capable of retrieving and storinginformation in one or more tables. The Server is capable of storing oneor more data tables. In an embodiment, the Server 720 and the Server 120are the same server.

FIG. 8 is a graphical depiction of example tables that may be stored inthe Server 720. Those tables may include an Owner Information Table 810,Repair Car Table 820, Repair Shop Table 830, Services Table 40, ServiceResults Table 850 and Service Review Table 860,

The Owner Information Table 810 includes information about the Owner 730a of the vehicle. This information may include biographic informationabout the owner 730 a, their credit card information, and insuranceinformation. In addition, this information may include the currentgeographic position of the Mobile Computer 130.

The Repair Car Table 820 includes information on the repair history of acar. This information may include the date the car was serviced and thetype of services provided. In addition, the Repair Car Table 820 mayalso include the manufacturer's suggested maintenance schedule for thecar.

The Repair Shop Table 830 includes information on each of the pluralityof Independent Service Centers 760 a . . . 760 n. This information mayinclude biographic information for the service center, geographiclocation information, insurance information, and the types of servicesprovided.

The Service Table 840 includes information on the type of services thatare offered by the Car Dealer 110 to Owners of the cars. The servicescould, for example, include oil changes, tire rotation, brake service,etc.

The Service Results Table 850 includes information on the results ofservices rendered by the plurality of Independent Service Centers 760 a. . . 760 n on each car. This information may include the date and timethat the car was picked up, the amount of time spent on the job, and thedate and time when the car was returned.

The Service Review Table 860 includes information provided by the CarOwner 730 a regarding their opinion of the services provided by theIndependent Service Center.

FIG. 9 shows the process for the Car Dealer 110 to service the Owner'sCar from the perspective of the Owner 730 a.

First, the Car Owner 730 a accesses the Car Dealer Service Application905. The Car Dealer Service Application may be in the form of a website,web application, or an application that is downloaded and installed onthe Mobile Computer 130. In an embodiment, the Car Dealer ServiceApplication and the Car Dealer Sales Application are the sameApplication.

Next, the Car Owner 730 a registers an Owner account 910. During thisregistration process, the Mobile Computer 130 prompts the Car Owner 730a to enter information. This information may include biographicinformation about the owner 730 a, credit card information for the CarOwner 730 a, and insurance information for the Car Owner 730 a. Thisinformation is transmitted to the Server 720 where it is saved in theOwner Information Table 810. This step may be skipped if the Car Owner730 a has previously registered.

The Car Owner 730 a selects 915 on the Mobile Computer 130 the servicethat the Car requires from a list. The list of services is based on theinformation stored in the Services Table 840. An alert is thentransmitted and received by all of the Independent Service Centers 760 a. . . 760 n in step 1020 that can provide the selected service based onthe information in one or more tables of the Server 720. The IndependentService Centers that receive the alert may be limited to centers withina predetermined distance from the geographic position of the Car Owner730 a based on information stored in the one or more tables of Server720.

The Car Owner 730 a then receives an offer 920 that was transmitted 1035by one of the Independent Service Centers. The Car Owner 730 a may electto Accept the Service Offer 725.

If the Car Owner 730 a does not accept the offer 725, the MobileComputer prompts the Car Owner 730 a to enter a rationale for rejectingthe offer 930. This information may be entered in a free entry text bookor by selecting from a prepopulated list. This information istransmitted to the server where it is stored in the Service ResultsTable 850.

If the Car Owner 730 a accepts the offer, the approval is transmitted tothe Independent Service Center 935.

The Car Owner 730 a then receives a confirmation when a mechanic fromthe Independent Service Center retrieves the car 940. Another alert issent to the Car Owner 730 a when the service is completed 945. Finally,the Car Owner 730 a receives an alert when a mechanic from theIndependent Service Center 935 returns the car 950. The alerts may be inthe form of an email message, SMS text message, an in app alert, or thelike.

Next, the Car Owner 730 a inspects the work performed on their car, andif it is acceptable, the Car Owner 730 a approves the payment via theMobile Computer 130. This information is transmitted to the Server 720.

Finally, the Car Owner 730 a reviews the work provided. The informationcontained in the Car Owner 730 a review is then transmitted to theServer 720 where it is saved in the Service Review Table 860.

FIG. 10 shows the process for the Car Dealer 110 to service the Owner'sCar from the perspective of one of the Independent Service Centers 760 a. . . 760 n.

First, the Independent Service Center accesses the Car Dealer ServiceApplication 905. The Car Dealer Service Application may be in the formof a website, web application, or an application that is downloaded andinstalled on a Mobile Computer 130.

Next, the Independent Service Center registers a Mechanic Account 1010.In this process, the Independent Service Center may be prompted to enterbiographic information for the service center, geographic locationinformation, and insurance information. The Independent Service Centeris then prompted to enter one or more types of services provided 1015.This information is transmitted to the Server 720 where it is stored inthe Repair Shop Table 830.

The Independent Service Center then receives 1020 a request transmittedfrom the Car Owner 730 a. The Independent Service Center then has apredetermined period of time to Offer to Provide the Service 1025. TheIndependent Service Center may also receive additional information fromthe Repair Car Table.

If the Independent Service Center elects to not provide the service,they are prompted to explain their rationale 1030. This information istransmitted to the Server 720 where it is stored in one or more tables.

If the Independent Service Center elects to provide the service, anoffer is transmitted 1035 to the Car Owner 730 a and received by the CarOwner 730 a in step 920.

The Car Owner 730 a may elect to either accept or reject the offer toprovide service 925.

If the Car Owner 730 a elects to not receive the service from theIndependent Service Center, the Independent Service Center receives analert with the rationale entered by the Car Owner 730 a in step 930.

If the Car Owner 730 a elects to receive the service from theIndependent Service Center, the Independent Service Center receives thelocation of the car 1035. A mechanic from the Independent Service Centerthen travels to the car.

The mechanic then uses the Mobile Computer 130 to unlock the car 1050.This process is functionally identical to the unlock process describedwith regard to unlock process of step 450. Once the car is unlocked, analert is transmitted to the Car Owner 730 a and received in step 940.

The mechanic is then able to start the car using the Mobile Computer 130similar to that described with regard to step 460. The mechanic thentransports the car to Independent Service Center 1060. Once the CarComputer 150 determines that the car has arrived at the IndependentService Center, an alert is sent to the Car Owner 730 a and received instep 945. To determine that the car has arrived at the IndependentService Center, the Car Computer 150 may rely on information stored inone or more of the tables in Server 720.

The mechanics at the Independent Service Center then provide the serviceto the car 1070. One of the mechanics from the Independent ServiceCenter returns the car 1080 to its original location. The mechanic maydetermine the original location based upon information provided byeither the Car Computer 150 or the Mobile Computer 130.

Once the car is returned, the mechanic locks the car 1085 using theMobile Computer 130. Once the car is located, an alert is sent to theCar 730 a and received in step 950.

If the Car Owner approves payment 955, payment is received by theIndependent Service Center 1090.

FIG. 11 shows the process for the Car Dealer 110 to service the Owner'sCar from the perspective of one of the Car Dealer 110.

The Car Dealer 110 first solicits Independent Service Center to Register1105. The solicitation asks the Independent Service Centers 760 a . . .760 n to complete the registration step 1010.

The Car Dealer 110 is responsible for maintaining the tables 1110 storedin the Server 720, such as those depicted in FIG. 11 .

The Car Dealer 110 receives an alert that a Car Owner 730 a hasrequested service 1115. This alert may contain information about the CarOwner 730 a retrieved from one or more of the tables stored in theServer 720.

Next, the Car Dealer 110 receives that one of the Independent ServiceCenters 760 a . . . 760 n has offered their service. Subsequently, theCar Dealer 110 receives an indication that the offer was either acceptedor rejected by the Car Owner 730 a in step 925.

If the offer to provide the service is not accepted by the Car Owner 730a, the Car Dealer 110 receives an alert 1125 that contains the rationalethat the Car Owner 730 a entered in step 930.

If the offer to provide the service is accepted by the Car Owner 730 a,the Car Dealer 110 receives an alert when the car has been returned andlocked in step 1085. The Car Dealer 110 receives payment 1135 from theCar Owner 730 a after the work is approved. The Car Dealer 110 alsoreceives feedback 1140 from the Car Owner 730 a about the work providedby the Independent Service Center. Based in part on the providedfeedback, the Car Dealer 110 provides payment 1145 to the IndependentService Center.

Although features and elements are described above in particularcombinations, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that eachfeature or element can be used alone or in any combination with theother features and elements. In addition, any of the steps describedabove may be automatically performed by either the Servers, MobileComputers, or Vehicle Computers.

Furthermore, the methods described herein may be implemented in acomputer program, software, or firmware incorporated in acomputer-readable medium for execution by a computer or processor.Examples of computer-readable media include electronic signals(transmitted over wired or wireless connections) and non-transitorycomputer-readable storage media. Examples of non-transitorycomputer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to, a readonly memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a register, cachememory, semiconductor memory devices, magnetic media such as internalhard disks and removable disks, magneto-optical media, and optical mediasuch as CD-ROM disks, and digital versatile disks (DVDs). A processor inassociation with the computer program may be used to implement themobile Servers, Mobile Computers, or Vehicle Computers in physical orvirtualized form.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, comprising: receiving, at a server, registration information about a vehicle that is available for showing; storing, in a memory of the server, the registration information about the vehicle in a table comprising registration information about a plurality of vehicles that are available for showing, wherein the vehicle and each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles are owned by different owners; receiving, at the server, geographic location information for each vehicle having registration information stored in the table; receiving, by the server, from a mobile computer of a prospective buyer, an indication of a first input to the mobile computer selecting a type of vehicle having registration information stored in the table; determining, by the server, a current geographic location of the mobile computer; determining, by the server, a mapped location of one or more vehicles matching the type of vehicle selected relative to the current geographic location of the mobile computer, wherein the mapped location is based on the geographic location information; causing, by the server, the mapped location of the one or more vehicles to be obfuscated as one or more shaded regions shown on a map displayed by the mobile computer; receiving, by the server from the mobile computer, an indication of a second input to the mobile computer selecting one shaded region of the one or more shaded regions shown on the map, the one shaded region including shading that obfuscates an exact geographic position of one vehicle of the one or more vehicles on the map; receiving, by the server from the mobile computer, a request for a showing of the one vehicle for the prospective buyer; receiving, at the server subsequent to receiving the request, a confirmation message that the showing of the one vehicle is allowed by an owner of the one vehicle; causing, by the server in response to receiving the confirmation message, removal of the shading in the one shaded region displayed by the mobile computer to reveal the exact geographic position of the one vehicle on the map displayed by the mobile computer; receiving, by the server from a vehicle computer associated with the one vehicle and subsequent to causing the shading to be removed in the one shaded region displayed by the mobile computer, verification information validating an identity of the prospective buyer when the prospective buyer is at the one vehicle; sending, by the server and in response to validating the identity of the prospective buyer, an instruction across a wireless communication network to unlock a door of the one vehicle; storing, in the memory of the server, information about the showing of the one vehicle to the prospective buyer; and adjusting, by the server and based on the information about the showing stored in the memory of the server, a credit value of a credit account by a credit amount, the credit account being stored in the memory of the server and associated with the owner of the one vehicle.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein after sending the instruction to unlock the door of the one vehicle, the method further comprises: turning on the one vehicle using the mobile computer; plotting, by the vehicle computer, a test drive route for the prospective buyer to follow during a test drive of the one vehicle; determining, by the vehicle computer, whether the test drive route is followed by the prospective buyer during the test drive of the vehicle; and disabling, by the vehicle computer, an operability of the vehicle when the vehicle computer determines the test drive route is not followed by the prospective buyer during the test drive of the vehicle.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the credit value of the credit account stored in the memory of the server comprises awarding the credit amount to the credit account when the one vehicle is shown a predetermined number of times.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle computer is portable and connected to the one vehicle through a car communication port.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the credit value of the credit account stored in the memory of the server comprises awarding the credit amount to the credit account based upon a number of test drives allowed by the owner of the one vehicle.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, by the server, a time duration that the one vehicle is available for showing, and wherein adjusting the credit value of the credit account stored in the memory of the server comprises awarding the credit amount to the credit account based upon the time duration.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, from the mobile computer, an input of feedback from the prospective buyer regarding the showing of the one vehicle, and wherein adjusting the credit value of the credit account stored in the memory of the server comprises awarding the credit amount to the credit account based on the input of feedback from the prospective buyer.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the owner of the one vehicle is provided with a predetermined period of time to provide the confirmation message, and the method further comprises: deducting, by the server, a failure-to-respond credit amount from the credit account stored in the memory of the server and associated with the owner of the one vehicle when the predetermined period of time is exceeded.
 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising: deducting, by the server, a denial credit amount from the credit account stored in the memory of the server and associated with the owner of the one vehicle for each showing request that the owner of the one vehicle denies.
 10. The method of claim 7, wherein adjusting the credit value of the credit account stored in the memory of the server comprises deducting the credit amount from the credit account when negative feedback is received.
 11. A server, comprising: a communications interface; a processor coupled to the communications interface; and a memory coupled with and readable by the processor and storing therein instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: receive registration information about a vehicle that is available for showing; store the registration information about the vehicle in a table comprising registration information about a plurality of vehicles that are available for showing, wherein the vehicle and each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles are owned by different owners; receive geographic location information for each vehicle having registration information stored in the table; receive, from a first mobile device of a prospective buyer, an indication of a first input to the first mobile device selecting a type of vehicle having registration information stored in the table; determine, in response to receiving the indication of the first input, a current geographic location of the first mobile device; determine a mapped location of one or more vehicles matching the type of vehicle selected relative to the current geographic location of the first mobile device, wherein the mapped location is based on the geographic location information; cause the mapped location of the one or more vehicles to be obfuscated as one or more shaded regions shown on a map displayed by the first mobile device; receive, from the first mobile device, an indication of a second input to the first mobile device selecting one shaded region of the one or more shaded regions shown on the map, the one shaded region including shading that obfuscates an exact geographic position of one vehicle of the one or more vehicles on the map; receive, from the first mobile device, a request for a showing of the one vehicle for the prospective buyer; receive, from a second mobile device of an owner of the one vehicle subsequent to receiving the request, a confirmation message that the showing of the one vehicle is allowed by the owner of the one vehicle; cause, in response to receiving the confirmation message, removal of the shading in the one shaded region displayed by the first mobile device to reveal the exact geographic position of the one vehicle to the prospective buyer on the map displayed by the first mobile device; receive, from a vehicle computer associated with the one vehicle and subsequent to causing the shading to be removed in the one shaded region displayed by the first mobile device, verification information validating an identity of the prospective buyer when the prospective buyer is at the one vehicle; send, in response to validating the identity of the prospective buyer and via the communications interface across a wireless communication network, an instruction to unlock a door of the one vehicle; store, in a memory location of the server, information about the showing of the one vehicle to the prospective buyer; and adjust, based on the information about the showing stored in the memory location of the server, a credit value of a credit account by a credit amount, the credit account being stored in the memory location of the server and associated with the owner of the one vehicle.
 12. The server of claim 11, wherein adjusting the credit value of the credit account stored in the memory location of the server comprises awarding the credit amount to the credit account based upon a number of test drives allowed over time by the owner of the one vehicle.
 13. The server of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: determine a time duration that the one vehicle is available for showing, and wherein adjusting the credit value of the credit account stored in the memory location of the server comprises awarding the credit amount to the credit account based upon the time duration.
 14. The server of claim 11, wherein the owner of the one vehicle is provided with a predetermined period of time to provide the confirmation message via the second mobile device of the owner, and wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: deduct a failure-to-respond credit amount from the credit account stored in the memory location of the server and associated with the owner of the one vehicle when the predetermined period of time is exceeded.
 15. The server of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: deduct a denial credit amount from the credit account stored in the memory location of the server and associated with the owner of the one vehicle for each showing request that the owner of the one vehicle denies.
 16. The server of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: receive, from the second mobile device, an indication of feedback from the prospective buyer regarding the showing of the one vehicle.
 17. The server of claim 16, wherein adjusting the credit value of the credit account stored in the memory location of the server comprises awarding the credit amount to the credit account based at least partially on the feedback from the prospective buyer.
 18. The server of claim 16, wherein adjusting the credit value of the credit account stored in the memory location of the server comprises deducting the credit amount from the credit account when negative feedback is received.
 19. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing therein instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: receive registration information about a vehicle that is available for showing; store the registration information about the vehicle in a table comprising registration information about a plurality of vehicles that are available for showing, wherein the vehicle and each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles are owned by different owners; receive geographic location information for each vehicle having registration information stored in the table; receive, from a first mobile device of a prospective buyer, an indication of a first input to the first mobile device selecting a type of vehicle having registration information stored in the table; determine, in response to receiving the indication of the first input, a current geographic location of the first mobile device; determine a mapped location of one or more vehicles matching the type of vehicle selected relative to the current geographic location of the first mobile device, wherein the mapped location is based on the geographic location information; cause the mapped location of the one or more vehicles to be obfuscated as one or more shaded regions shown on a map displayed by the first mobile device; receive, from the first mobile device, an indication of a second input to the first mobile device selecting one shaded region of the one or more shaded regions shown on the map, the one shaded region including shading that obfuscates an exact geographic position of one vehicle of the one or more vehicles on the map; receive, from the first mobile device, a request for a showing of the one vehicle for the prospective buyer; receive, from a second mobile device of an owner of the one vehicle subsequent to receiving the request, a confirmation message that the showing of the one vehicle is allowed by the owner of the one vehicle; cause, in response to receiving the confirmation message, removal of shading in the one shaded region displayed by the first mobile device to reveal the exact geographic position of the one vehicle on the map displayed by the first mobile device; receive, from a vehicle computer associated with the one vehicle and subsequent to causing the shading to be removed in the one shaded region displayed by the first mobile device, verification information validating an identity of the prospective buyer when the prospective buyer is at the one vehicle; send, in response to validating the identity of the prospective buyer and via a communications interface across a wireless communication network, an instruction to unlock a door of the one vehicle; store, in a memory, information about the showing of the one vehicle to the prospective buyer; and adjust, based on the information about the showing stored in the memory, a credit value of a credit account by a credit amount, the credit account being stored in the memory and associated with the owner of the one vehicle.
 20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: receive, from the second mobile device, an indication of feedback from the prospective buyer regarding the showing of the one vehicle, wherein adjusting the credit value of the credit account stored in the memory comprises awarding the credit amount to the credit account based at least partially on the feedback from the prospective buyer. 